Carriage-top connection



(No Model.)

A. KRIDER. v CARRIAGE TOP CONNECTION.

No. 573,901. Patented Dec. 15, 1896.

INVE/VTUI? WITNESSES: Y

uonms wrrzns cu. PHOTD-LITNO wAsuma UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. I

AMIS KRIDER, OF CHICAGO HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS.

CARRIAG E-TOP CON NECTION.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 573,007, dated December 15, 1896.

Application filed July 10, 1896, Serial No. 598,684. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AMIs KRIDER, residing at Chicago Heights, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Carriage-Top Connection, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is an improved carriage-top connection, the object of the invention being to provide means whereby the top of the vehicle can be quickly and easily removed without taking the same apart or without injuring the top in any manner Whatever.

Another object is to provide means whereby a folding top can be quickly and easily removed from a vehicle and a canopy-top replaced, or vice versa.

lleretofore carriage manufacturers have been delayed in properly ironing the tops of vehicles, inasmuch as they were not certain whether a folding or canopy top was desired or would be ordered. The carriage-owner has also been compelled to retain either a folding or canopy top upon his vehicle, inasmuch as to make a change would involve too great an expense and would require the services of a skilled mechanic. The object of my invention is to avoid all such objections.

With these various objects in view my invention consists of the peculiar construction of the various parts and in their novel combination or arrangement, all of which will be fully described hereinafter, and pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings forminga part of this specification, Figure 1 is a view showing afolding vehicle top provided with my invention. Fig. 2 is a canopy-top provided also with my invention. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of a socket and prop connection, said prop being disconnected from the socket. Fig. 4: is a sectional view showing the prop and socket connected. Fig. 5 is an inverted perspective view of the socket employed upon a V canopy-top. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of such socket.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates the folding top, and B the canopy-top, and O are the props adapted to support both tops, said props being united at their lower ends, as shown at O, and connected to the vehicle body in the usual or any approved manner.

The upper ends of the props C are reduced and threaded, as shown at D, said threaded end being adapted to engage the nut E, carried by the sockets F and G, the sockets F being used in connection with the folding top and the sockets G being used in connection with the canopy-top. The nut E is connected with either socket by means of a swiveled pin H, which passes through an aperture H in the bottom of the socket and is formed with a head H thereby preventing the nut from becoming disconnected from the bottom of the socket, it being necessary, of course, to revolve the nut in order to screw upon the threaded end D, and thereby make connection between the top and props.

The sockets F are made hollow and are -adapted to receive the top bows I, of the fold ing top, the ends of said bows beinginserted within the sockets and secured by means of bolts or screws 1, passed through the socket into the ends of the bows. These sockets are also slotted, as shown at K, in order to re ceive the hinge-bows L, which serve to hold the top distended. It will be observed that the central socket is arranged in a vertical position and receives the end of the central bow, while the end sockets are arranged in obligue positions in order to receive the ends of the end bows. The central socket is also formed with an integral bolt M, to which the hinge-prop N is attached, said prop being secured in position by means of the nut O, which screws upon the bolt M.

In Fig. 2 I have shown a canopy-top as detached from the props O and slightly elevated therefrom, and by reference to said figure it will be seen that the sockets G are formed with flange-plates G, by means of which they are rigidly secured to the framework of the canopy-top, and it will also be noticed that the central socket is vertical, while the end sockets are inclined, in order to meet the inclination of the end prop O and enable the nuts E to engage the threaded ends D. The

sockets are also provided with bolts M, adapted to receive the prop-nut O and secure the prop N in position. It will thus be seen that by means of the connection herein shown and described any one can quickly and easily convert the vehicle-top from a folding one into ICO a canopy-top, and viceversa, by simply unscrewing the nuts D, 161I10"in g the top, and replacing the one desired to be used.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a carriage-topconnection, the combination with the props having reduced threaded ends, of the nuts adapted to engage. said 10 threaded ends, the sockets to which said nuts are swiveled, said sockets being adapted to receive the top bows from the: carriage, and also sictt'edat the sides to receive the hingebows of said top, substantially as shown and described.

'AMIS KRIDER.

Vitnesses:

O. A. VAIL, W. D. WEBsTER. 

